Monica Seles has revealed she is considering a comeback to the WTA
Tour after watching Lindsay Davenport make a successful return since
giving birth to a son in June.
Seles has not played since the French Open in 2003 when she was
struggling with back and foot injuries. But the 34-year-old, who still
plays regularly with former world number ones Jennifer Carpriati and
Martina Navratilova,has never formally retired and is now eyeing a
possible return to action in Miami next March.
"I still love to play. That has never lessened," Seles told the LA
Times. "What Lindsay did was just so cool.
"And what I know now, I wish I had known then. Like stretching more
before and after matches. You go out and win 6-3 6-1 and say that was
easy and you wouldn't stretch.
Seles, who was ranked as world number one in 1991 and 1992, won her
first major at Roland Garros in 1990 before going on to win seven of
the next 11 Slams, despite not competing at Wimbledon in 1991.
But shortly after winning her third Australian Open title in 1993,
Seles was stabbed in the back by Guenter Parche, a spectator who came
down from the stands during her quarter final clash with Magdalena
Maleeva in Hamburg. Seles did not play again until August 1995 and won
only one more Grand Slam, in Australia in 1996.
"I guess I kind of had two tennis careers," Seles continued. "And now
perhaps a third. I certainly would not ever be able to do a full
schedule again, because of the foot.
"But I'm thinking about the Slams and about some of the better
tournaments that lead into them. I won't decide for sure until the
beginning of the year and the Australian is certainly not possible.
But Miami. Maybe."